


so far so fast

by snaredrum



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Canon Compliant, Hurt/Comfort, pema is a good mom, post book two, the aftermath of jinora's imprisonment in the spirit world
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-13
Updated: 2019-06-13
Packaged: 2020-05-02 08:46:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19195555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snaredrum/pseuds/snaredrum
Summary: Being kidnapped and imprisoned in the Fog of Lost Souls for a week can take its toll.Or: Jinora and her family in the wake of Book Two.





	so far so fast

**Author's Note:**

> i have waited six years for someone to write about this and no one ever did. write the fics you wish to see in the world, i guess.
> 
> title comes from so far so fast by the national, specifically for the line "don't you know someday somebody will come and find you? if you don't know who you are anymore, they will remind you."
> 
> oh, and if you see any typos, please tell me! i proofread it but, you know, things slip through.

It takes a special kind of person to become an Air Acolyte. 

One must embrace the core tenets of the Air Nomads, to the point where they are willing to leave their home and their nation behind. They must hold a fierce devotion to ideals such as peace, harmony, and patience; they must believe in them and their ability to bring balance to the world.

Pema had been an Air Acolyte for years. But she was finding it difficult to keep her patience.

“Pick up, pick up, pick up,” she muttered into the mouthpiece of the radio. Ikki was holding Rohan close to her chest, looking down at him without saying a word. Even Meelo was quiet as he grasped onto the fabric of Pema’s robe and shuffled his feet. Jinora’s absence had hit them hard – it had hit all of them hard. Pema knew her children, and she knew that even though Ikki and Meelo would never admit it, they looked up to Jinora. She was their older sister, a dependable constant in their lives. To see her motionless and small in Tenzin’s arms, indistinguishable from dead if not for the slight rise and fall of her chest…

Pema grit her teeth. “Pick  _ up _ .” 

On Air Temple Island the night had become deceptively calm, a cool breeze blowing off the harbor through the open balcony doors. But just below the sound of the wind and waves was the howl of sirens coming from the mainland, betraying the chaos the evening had wrought. The city was beginning to respond to the damage caused by Unalaq and Vaatu in whatever way they could.

The radio crackled.

“Pema? Is that you?” Asami’s voice broke through the stillness in the room. 

Ikki and Meelo’s heads snapped up to look at the radio. Pema almost collapsed in relief. “Yes, Asami, I’m here. There were spirits, here in the harbor, Korra and Unalaq and Vaatu, they were giant –”  Her speech tripped over itself, the events of the last hour overwhelming her as her words brought them back to life, but in the end there was only one thing that mattered to her. “Jinora. She was here. Is she okay? Is she back?” She could feel tears building up, a block forming in her throat, but she did her best to keep them out of her voice. For the children’s sake.

Asami didn’t keep them in suspense. “Yes, her spirit returned and she woke up. She’s doing just fine.” Pema could hear the smile in her voice. 

Now Pema’s knees did give out; she caught herself on the table. Her worry for Jinora’s safety had been a physical weight pressing down on her body, all the more noticeable for its absence. She had been so, so afraid that Asami would say something, anything else. For the first time in a week, she could breathe again. 

Now tears  _ did _ come to her eyes, born of relief rather than fear, and she let out a weak laugh as she wiped them away. “Thank goodness. Oh, Asami, thank you so much.”

Ikki and Meelo sprung to life. They both tried to get as close to the mouthpiece as possible, their words tumbling out in a flood of questions.

Ikki took point, her voice raising over Meelo’s. “Is Jinora there now? Was her body here in Republic City, or was that just her spirit? What did she do anyway? Can we talk to her?” 

Pema laughed again, putting her hand on Ikki’s head and smoothing back her hair. She cherished the contact.  _ All my kids are safe _ , she thought to herself.  _ All my kids are safe _ . “Come on Ikki, give her a chance to answer.”

Asami’s voice, garbled as it was through the radio, was the most beautiful sound Pema had ever heard. “Her body never left, it must have been her spirit. As for what it was she did, I don’t know – I don’t know about anything that happened in Republic City, and until Korra and the others come back I won’t know what happened in the spirit world either. Master Katara is looking after Jinora now. I’m sorry, I’m sure she would love to talk to you, but she’s sleeping at the moment. Her body was...tired.”

Pema noted the hesitation in the last sentence; there was something there Asami was holding back from saying, probably because the kids were listening. She looked at them. Judging by their expressions – bright, though marred by disappointment at not getting the chance to speak to their sister – they hadn’t picked up on anything.

Her worry began to grow again. She needed to talk to Asami alone. 

Ikki groaned. “Aww! When  _ can _ we talk to her?”

“I’ll tell you what – call me again first thing tomorrow morning, and if she’s awake I’ll put her on. I know she wants to talk to you too.” 

Both kids cheered. Even Rohan, who was so unaware of the troubles that had plagued his family, let out a happy coo, the excitement of his siblings in turn exciting him.

“Alright kids,” Pema began. “Say thank you to Asami, and then it’s time to go to bed.” 

“But I’m not tired!” Meelo stomped his foot but his protests were undercut by a yawn at the end of his sentence. 

“No buts! It’s been a very long day and you both need your sleep.”  _ A very long day, a very, very long week _ . “And,” she said, in her best  _ let’s make a deal _ voice, “the sooner you go to sleep, the sooner you can talk to Jinora.”

That did the trick. 

“Goodnight Asami!” they called out in unison. 

Pema left the radio on as she led the children to their rooms. She knew that Asami wouldn’t leave her, especially after she assured Pema she would stay on the line, but she didn’t want to have to bother with the stress of initiating a call again. The fear, however small, that she would get no answer was nagging and persistent. 

After she had kissed her older kids goodnight and settled Rohan in his crib, Pema all but ran back to the radio. She grabbed the mouthpiece again, wanting to feel as close to the South Pole as possible. “Alright, the kids are in bed. There’s more, isn’t there?” Her voice didn’t shake. That was an accomplishment. 

Asami sighed, the sound translating through the radio as a burst of static. “Katara’s looked her over thoroughly. She says Jinora’s soul has had no problem rejoining her body. But her body…it was in stasis for a week. It began to atrophy. Kya and Katara kept it from getting too bad, but for right now she’s really weak. Katara assures me it’s temporary,” she added in a rush. 

Pema took a steadying breath. “How weak?”

“When she first woke up, she couldn’t move very much at all without assistance. She regained some strength the longer she was awake, but she can’t walk yet. I’m not going to lie to you, it seems pretty intense.”

Pema, who hadn’t breathed since that steadying breath, let it out now. “Okay. Okay, thank you for telling me. Is her mind okay? Is she feeling alright?”

“She was exhausted and went to sleep pretty soon after waking up – she’s back in the spirit water right now actually, with Katara working to ease her weakness – but she was perfectly fine. She didn’t say where she was while she was gone, but she did tell us that everyone else who was in the spirit world was safe too. Korra…” Here Asami paused, and when she resumed Pema could hear the admiration in her voice. “Korra saved us.” 

Pema leaned against the table, her energy spent. “I saw. Whatever it was she did here in the harbor, she was amazing. Jinora too.” She wiped away the forming tears. “I’m so proud of her.”

“I’ll let you get some rest. Tenzin and Korra and the others will be back later tonight, I’m sure. If you want me to call back later when they get here, I will, but I’ll still keep the promise I made to Ikki and Meelo: I’ll be here first thing in the morning to answer your call. Jinora should be awake by then.”

Pema nodded even though Asami couldn’t see her. “No, you don’t have to stay up. I should get some sleep. Thank you so much for the offer, though. And, Asami – thank you so, so much for answering.”

She had feared that, in the confusion of the day, she would be forgotten. As if Pema wasn’t just as worried for Jinora’s safety as Tenzin was. It was easy to become an afterthought when she was so far away. 

Asami spoke. “Of course. I know you were worried. I’ve been nearly out of my mind and she isn’t my daughter.” Equal parts fatigue and relief entered her voice. “But it’s over now. She’s back, and the others will be soon. Goodnight, Pema. I’ll talk to you in the morning.”

“Goodnight, Asami.” Pema ended the call. 

Jinora was back. Jinora was back, and she was safe, and she couldn’t walk, and she could barely move, but it was okay because she was  _ back _ . Pema knew the anxiety wouldn’t go away in full until her daughter was back in her arms, but for now the assurance that she was okay and Katara was working to restore her strength was enough. 

Soon, her little girl would be  _ home _ .

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading! i know i'm showing up six years late writing a fic for a tv show that ended five years ago, but i love legend of korra, and jinora's always been my favorite character. so if you've made it this far: thank you! i appreciate YOU!
> 
> the update schedule might be slow, but i fully intend to finish this!
> 
> \- snaredrum


End file.
